Saving Seabirds

The stretch of land and sea from Barrow, on Alaska’s North Slope, to Baja California is home to more than 100 million seabirds that depend on a network of breeding and foraging sites up and down the Pacific Coast. Audubon’s science-based identification of Important Bird Areas (IBAs), national reach, international partnerships, and expertise in colony restoration and public policy mean that Audubon can take effective action to stabilize and increase populations of at-risk species. We are already working with partners in British Columbia and Mexico to designate 250 IBAs along the Pacific Coast.

Specific goals include conserving food sources for bird species through the passage of international treaties, such as the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and other legal protections; pressing for the recognition of IBAs and marine IBAs by private and public organizations seeking to develop offshore and near-shore resources; and using the expertise developed during 38 years of successful seabird projects in Maine at additional important Pacific coastal sites to make them safe and suitable for use by seabird colonies.

Theory of Victory: Audubon will take a broad-ranging approach—working with partners, influencing legislation, making full use of our extensive scientific work—to maintain a healthy network of breeding and foraging sites for the millions of migratory seabirds that use the Pacific Flyway.